Mays-Boddie House
Why it's listed
Near Mountville in rural Troup County, Georgia, this 1½-story frame farmhouse was built between 1828 and 1830 by William C. Mays. It began as a small double pen house with a two-over-four plan, using heart pine and fieldstone gathered on the site, mortise and tenon joinery, hand-hewn logs and hand-planed pine boards. Some woodwork was grained by itinerant craftsmen. The Boddie family bought the property around 1858-1859 and added a dining room, a kitchen connected by a breezeway, and a small rear annex. The house has stayed in the same family since. It was listed as one of the earliest homes in the county, built soon after the Creek lands were distributed by the 1827 land lottery, and as the only known surviving double pen house there. Remnants of a formal garden with ancient boxwood, magnolias, cedars and hollies, plus traces of vanished outbuildings, add to its importance.
Significance in brief: The nomination argues it is one of the oldest homes in Troup County and the only known surviving double pen frame house, showing early construction techniques and local materials. It was built soon after the 1827 land acquisition from the Creek Indians. The remains of a formal boxwood garden and of lost outbuildings add landscape and archaeological value.
Machine-generated summary. This summary was generated by a language model from the official nomination document and has not been reviewed line by line by an editor. It may contain errors. Check the source document before relying on any detail. Source: nomination document (PDF) · National Archives catalog entry. NRHP reference 82002489, listed June 28, 1982. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | GA 109, Mountville |
|---|---|
| County | Troup County |
| Listed | June 28, 1982 |
| Reference number | 82002489 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | 1800-1899 |
| Architect / builder | William C. Mays |
| Architectural style | Early vernacular double pen frame house |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Landscape Architecture, Historic - Non-Aboriginal, Exploration/Settlement, Architecture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Occupied private residence in good condition, with restoration under way by a family member at the time of nomination. |
| Acreage | 198 |
| Coordinates | 33.04034, -84.92645 (NPS GIS) |
What listing means for this property
National Register listing is honorary for a privately owned home: it does not by itself restrict what an owner may do with their own money, and it does not require public access. Restrictions come from local landmark or historic-district ordinances, which are separate (how they differ).
Owner-occupied houses are not eligible for the 20% federal rehabilitation tax credit, which applies to income-producing buildings, but many states offer credits for homeowners. Listing also opens the door to preservation easements and to buying a plaque. Start with what listing means for homeowners, renovating a listed house and selling one.
General information, not legal or tax advice. Rules change; confirm with your State Historic Preservation Office or a qualified adviser.
Sources and further reading
- National Park Service, National Register of Historic Places database (snapshot May 2026), reference 82002489.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q85784498
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.